Bound for Glory [DVD] [1976]

Hal Ashby's depiction of legendary folksinger Woody Guthrie in this film is a gutsy and unromanticized view of both a complicated personality and the time in which he lived. Starring David Carradine as Woody Guthrie, the film follows events chronicled in Guthrie's own diary and features much of his music, adapted by Leonard Rosenman for the screen. The Dolby Mono audio track does little to showcase this major feature of the film and all that can be said for it is that the dialogue is clearly translated. As far as the image goes, there is a grainy, washed-out quality to the transfer and although the setting of a dusty heartland America may account for some of this, a lack of attention to detail on the part of MGM is also probably a factor. The disc is haphazardly packaged with a "collector's booklet," which in reality is only a tiny, two-page information guide with background info on the setting, as well as history and quotes from Ashby and producer Harold Leventhal on production details such as the use of Guthrie's diary. This information could have been placed directly on the disc, as could cast and crew information and a theatrical trailer, neither of which appear here. There needs to be more effort made with the presentation of such American classics as Bound for Glory, or it is likely that many will be lost to DVD audiences.